Chapter 43 Winter Solstice
"The one who died here was indeed Yang Huaijiang. Accordingly, since no one in the mansion showed any abnormalities, the victim of the previous kitchen accident must have been Shi Jingning."
Qian Deng stared blankly at the middle toe, which was obviously longer than that of an ordinary person. After a long while, he shook his head and said softly, "It's true that I was influenced by my inner hope, so I had some random thoughts."
She was indeed just imagining things.
If Shi Jingning really wasn't dead, where could he hide? If the person who disfigured him wasn't Yang Huaijiang, how could he hide it from the mother who had raised him for twenty years?
How could the bodies of other people appear in this heavily guarded palace?
Cui Fufeng remained silent, looking at the charred corpse on the ground. He recalled the twisted figure in the fire and asked, "Before Yang Huaijiang set himself on fire, everyone present heard him calling out Shi Jingning's name. Could it be that he really had killed Shi Jingning, and because of the nervous breakdown, he became mentally disturbed and accidentally set himself on fire in shock?"
"If the case truly ends with a ghost seeking revenge, that would be a good outcome." Ling Tianshui looked at Qian Deng, as if trying to guess what she would do. "If that's the conclusion, the case is simple. Yang Huaijiang murdered Shi Jingning and burned the body to destroy the evidence. Who knew that Shi Jingning's ghost, seeking revenge, drove him insane, and he committed suicide in the same way."
Cui Fufeng agreed with his conclusion, and his tone when discussing with Qiandeng was also meaningful: "Tianshui is right. In this way, the two cases that occurred in the palace can not only be concluded cleanly and efficiently, but also will not damage the reputation of the county lady or the reputation of the palace."
However, if she continued to investigate the undercurrent behind this and faced the truth that might affect her and the palace's reputation, there would definitely not be such a perfect result.
Qiandeng lowered his eyes to look at the charred corpse on the ground, clenched the file he had recorded with his own hands, and stood motionless.
The night wind blew gently, blowing up the charcoal ashes on the ground and spreading a thin black mist around them, even dimming the light of the lamp placed next to them.
The dim light of a solitary lamp shone from behind her, unable to reflect the expression on her face, only her slender figure standing motionless.
She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and made the best decision for herself and the Changhua Palace as quickly as possible in this hurried time.
Ling Tianshui took off his thin leather gloves and turned to look at her. Suddenly, a scene flashed before his eyes. In the morning mist of the mountain mausoleum, she stood in front of him and fought back for him against the bullying of the Princess Gao and the future Crown Princess.
Her body was so weak and frail at that time, but knowing that she was powerless to resist the heavy pressure in front of her, she still stepped forward resolutely, with the determination to sacrifice her life, and carried everything on her own body.
He knew that rational people would laugh at her for not knowing her own limitations, but looking at the stubbornness revealed in her straight back, for some reason, he felt his heart fluttering, unable to restrain himself.
At least in this fleeting moment, he was willing to carry the heavy burden for her so that she would not have to face this lonely and cold night and the pressure of fate alone.
And Qiandeng has made a decision.
Her voice, hoarse and even more melancholy, came out: "I will not acknowledge the results achieved through deception and evasion. The truth is what it is. Regardless of whether the final outcome harms me or the Changhua Palace, I will face it head-on and never retreat!"
Cui Fufeng listened to her resolute answer and subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
He nodded to Qiandeng, stood up and walked out of the fire scene, asking the Dali Temple runners to come in and search the scene in detail to avoid missing any important clues.
It was already after three o'clock in the morning when all the affairs were completed.
After the yamen runners thoroughly investigated the scene and recorded the details in the files, they collected the remains according to the law and sent them to the charity cemetery, considering that it had been snowing recently.
When the coroners at the charity cemetery were cleaning up, they tried their best to piece together the broken body, placed it on a flatbed oxcart, covered it with a white cloth, and then pulled it away.
Qian Deng was busy in the middle of the night. He had to deal with the fire, take care of Madam Dingxiang, and investigate the corpse case. He was extremely exhausted.
But tomorrow is the Winter Solstice court meeting. As a second-rank county lady in the court, she has to go to the inner palace early in the morning to celebrate the festival and cannot refuse.
A huge feeling of fatigue overwhelmed her. Pressing her throbbing sunburn, Qiandeng walked out of the fire ruins step by step, and saw Meng Lanxi holding the white rabbit and waiting for her.
His expression was a little gloomy, but his eyes were still clear as he looked at her. When he pursed his lips slightly, his gentle dimples unconsciously appeared, which made people feel a sense of inappropriateness in the lonely and silent ruins of the fire.
Qiandeng nodded at him, and neither of them said anything, but Meng Lanxi already knew what he meant. She lowered her eyes silently and followed her to the East Courtyard.
After all, if she didn't take a good rest after running continuously without a break, she would definitely collapse under the burden.
After a quick wash, Qiandeng leaned on the cloth tiger her mother had sewn for her, hugged the white rabbit, and lowered the flower-branch curtain. In the dense fragrance, she silently told herself, "Don't be afraid, Bai Qiandeng, don't panic, don't worry."
There is a solution to everything.
Shi Jingning's death, Yang Huaijiang's death, his mother's funeral, the person holding the soul silk, the ghost hiding in the dark...
She will definitely find a way...
The sleep she fell into while immersed in the charming sweet fragrance was very short, as vague as lightning. It seemed that she had only closed her eyes for a moment when she felt someone calling her hesitantly.
It was Aunt Xuanji's voice, calling her "County Lady" as usual.
She opened her eyes and saw the branches of flowers swaying on the curtain. She was confused for a moment and didn't know what day it was.
Seeing her wake up, Aunt Xuanji hurriedly said, "County Lady, today is the Winter Solstice. You must go to the palace and celebrate with Her Majesty the Queen along with the other princesses and ladies."
Even though such a big thing has happened in the palace and the two candidates have died in the fire one after another, the Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year and the festival celebrations cannot be missed.
She rose and washed, knowing that the Empress would undoubtedly inquire about matters at the palace when she entered the palace today. She pondered how to respond. Although her eyes still bore bruises, they were gradually becoming clearer, and her thoughts were no longer clouded.
"Where's my aunt? How is she doing now?"
Aunt Xuanji said sadly, "Madam Dingxiang left home before dawn. She actually knew what was going on, but she just wouldn't admit it. So as soon as she woke up, she took Madam Ge to the charity cemetery, saying she couldn't believe Yang Huaijiang had died unjustly in the fire and wouldn't admit it until she saw it with her own eyes."
Qiandeng no longer had the energy to care about anything else. He just asked if Yang Jiazhi was frightened last night. After knowing that there was no movement from her side, he hurriedly packed up and went out to get in the car.
The weather was cold and gloomy, with dark clouds covering the sky. Scattered snow drifted over Chang'an, creating a gloomy haze.
Heading north towards the Daming Palace, the Zuoyintai Gate appeared in front.
The Emperor and Empress usually resided in the Greenhouse Palace during the winter, so today the princesses and ladies of honor were meeting the Empress in Xuanhui Palace, not far from the Greenhouse Palace. Entering from the left Yintai Gate and passing Mingde Temple was the shortest way to get to Xuanhui Palace.
The carriage stopped at the Zuoyintai Gate, where a palace attendant was waiting. Aunt Xuanji jumped out of the carriage, set up the bench, and was about to help Qiandeng get out when a pair of hands suddenly reached out and supported Qiandeng's hand, saying, "Please be careful, County Lady."
Qiandeng turned around and saw that it was Xue Xiyang. However, his usually soft and clear voice now carried a hint of anxiety.
Qiandeng took his arm and glanced at his official robes in a hurry, a little surprised: "Why isn't Master Xue in the front court today?"
"Everything in front has been prepared, and there is also a grand banquet in the Xuanhui Hall in the inner palace. I went to inspect the musicians and dancers, but... because my hand was hit by the jade chime, I had to leave early." As he said, he raised his right hand in front of her.
Qian Deng saw that the back of his hand was red and swollen, obviously he had been hit hard, but now she was anxious to enter the palace, so she just said: "Xue Lecheng's hand is used to pluck the silk strings, it is elegant and precious, you must protect it well."
"I did it on purpose." He lowered his voice so low that only she could hear it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com